Tag: xfactor

Do Your Job: Who is x-factor Colts player Patriots must stop?

The Patriots must stop this two-time Pro Bowler to win on Sunday.

The New England Patriots have not been able to stop much this season, and this week, they’ll face an Indianapolis Colts team with some holes themselves.

Maybe, just maybe, this week will be an opportunity to add some confidence to the room. But the Patriots have seemingly given up on and off the field with some players even voicing their frustrations on social media.

The going theme this year is the Patriots trying to stop the other team’s x-factors without having any of their own to take over the game. This week, Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is the player the Patriots’ offensive line will be tasked with stopping.

The Patriots will rely heavily on offensive linemen Cole Strange, David Andrews and Sidy Sow to be a healthy and cohesive unit. Any deviations from that and Buckner will completely dominate.

Buckner has the ability to play up and down the defensive line, and he consistently delivers pressure from inside of the pocket, which happens to be the biggest weakness for Mac Jones. He’s also an above average run defender, which could be a real problem for the Patriots as well.

Buckner, 29, was originally selected No. 7 overall in the 2016 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but with the 49ers needing to shed salary, he was traded in 2020 to the Colts for the 13th overall draft pick in 2020.

Buckner has continued his dominance on his second contract and is one of the best defensive lineman in the entire NFL. The Patriots will likely have nightmares if they do not find a way to limit his impact on the game.

Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm being out with health-related issues is also noteworthy. That means assistant coach Billy Yates will have his hands full in Germany trying to contain a beast on the line.

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Do Your Job: Who is x-factor Cowboys player Patriots must stop?

The x-factor in Sunday’s Patriots-Cowboys game isn’t a surprise

The New England Patriots head to Dallas to face one of the better defenses in the NFL and an offense that is explosive when they are playing at their peak.

The Cowboys are fresh off of a terrible loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 and will look to take out their frustrations on a Patriots team that is still looking to find their offensive footing out of the gate.

If the Patriots hope to have any success in getting their offense going, it will involve stopping all-world pass-rusher Micah Parsons. That is no easy feat, as Parsons is one of the game’s premier players, who is blessed with the sort of talent that can’t be taught.

Parsons was mentioned in the same breath as Lawrence Taylor by Patriots coach Bill Belichick. That alone shows how much respect the Patriots have for him. Respect and pleasentries are great for the media portion of the week, but with the game approaching on Sunday, the Patriots will need to throw everything they’ve got.

The best way to slow down Parsons is having him on your team. Simply put, he is a player that can wreak havoc from anywhere on the field. The Cowboys do a great job of lining up all over the formation, and the Patriots will need to get creative in stopping him.

Look for second year player Verderian Lowe, who started last week at right tackle, to get more reps and be tasked with facing Parsons by the Cowboys’ design.

The Patriots will need to utilize Ezekiel Elliott as a pass protector, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some more 21 personnel with Ty Montgomery in the backfield next to Elliott. Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker would be on the outside, and Henry would work in as the inline tight end.

The reason for this is the Patriots can shade either Montgomery or Elliott as blitz pickup for whichever side Parsons is on, and the other will check/release to the flat, potentially opening up the middle of the field for Mac Jones to throw to Parker, Bourne or Henry.

Parsons is an above average run defender as well. So look for the Patriots to use some heavier three tight end packages again to offset and keep the Cowboys’ rush on their toes. Pharaoh Brown may get some more looks in that structure with Henry and Mike Gesicki, but the Patriots will need to be effective running the ball.

This week, the Patriots will be challenged with a near impossible task, but limiting Parsons’ ability to take over the game single-handedly is the real task for an upset to even be conceivable.

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